A BRAVE Bristol marine has narrowly escaped death after being blown up by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

Corporal Paul Vice's throat was torn open by razor-sharp flying shrapnel and his arms and legs were slashed.

His injuries were so extensive that his heart stopped.

He was only saved when a quick-thinking comrade knelt on his throat to stop the bleeding and gave him emergency first aid.

The 28-year-old, who grew up in The Close, Patchway, had already been injured once before on duty and has served in Afghanistan four times and twice in Iraq.

The former Marlwood School pupil, was among six men who were hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) two-weeks-ago.

He was immediately taken to Camp Bastion, in Helmand Province, where he had emergency surgery.

He was then flown to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where he underwent another two operations involving 159 staples in his body and 46 in his neck.

He also had to have the vein in his neck replaced and is awaiting further treatment.

The father-of-four, is now on a slow road to recovery, his speech is slurred and he is unable to move his left arm or leg, but he is now in a stable condition.

His father Paul Vice, 54, said: "We got the call from his wife Tessa and we really thought he'd be dead when we got there. He was in a critical but stable condition but you just fear the worst.

"He had a few operations and is making a recovery but it is very slow.

"He is a bit deaf from the blast and shrapnel was embedded in his face and body.

"We hope that his speech and movement will come back but this won't stop him.

"He flat-lined so his brain was starved of oxygen for a while.

"He's been injured before, his arm was totally messed up but it doesn't stop him. As soon as he's fit he'll be out there again. There's no question about it."

Cpl Vice, who is a sniper and troop commander, has been in 42 Commando, for ten years.

He had recently returned to Afghanistan after spending two weeks leave with his family.

Mr Vice said: "He came home and we all went camping in Exeter, near the training base. We celebrated his 28th birthday and there was all of our family, children and the grandchildren, and all of Tessa's side of the family.

"The irony is he didn't have to go back to Afghanistan because of the length of time he's served but he didn't want to leave his lads out there.

"I just think you can only roll the dice so many times. The more tours he does the higher the chances of something happening.

"He has always been so dedicated. Even now he's in hospital trying to see what the lads are doing and checking up on them.

"After marrying Tessa, who he met in Little Stoke, he got a call on his wedding day to say he needed to return to Exeter for duty the next day.

"She worries about him all the time but she doesn't know anything else. That's what life with him is like.

"We're all so proud of him though. He's a fantastic marine and so dedicated to his job. We're just so grateful he's still here."